Personal Injury Attorney in Lexington, SC

"We're super excited about it. We think that Lexington needs it," said Christie Connelly, co-owner of Kindred Boutique.

LEXINGTON, S.C. — If everything goes as planned, the town of Lexington could be seeing a brand new hotel on Main Street nex year.

"The more the merrier on Main Street," said Anne Kershner, owner of Nicky's Pizzeria.

Local restaurant owners like Kershner, welcome the idea of a new hotel sharing their side of the street, and so do retailers.

"We're super excited about it. We think that Lexington needs it. I've planned a couple of weddings in this area and with people coming in, traveling for those things, you need a nice place to stay," said Christie Connelly, co-owner of Kindred Boutique.

They said it's the place to be.

"In the two years that we have been here, we have grown exponentially. We have watched downtown Lexington just bloom with business," Kershner said.

According to town leaders, they gave hotel developers approval after board of appearance reviews last January and March, with a final approval just two months ago.

Town officials said that developers are about 60-90 days away from construction starting if Lexington County gives its land disturbance permitting.

The four story, 100+ room hotel would have an event venue, restaurant, and possibly a rooftop bar.

"That's a huge attraction for people, anytime that a rooftop is mentioned. A lot of people love sunsets and sunrises. I think that's a great idea," Abigail Bradley, Lexington resident said.

Developer and CEO of Lexington Hospitality Ajay Champaneri said he's already seasoned in the Midlands hotel market and knows that this is a need.

"We are in downtown Lexington, right? It is the heart. That site has not been developed for the last what, 15, 16 years now," Champaneri said.

Champaneri said he's already invested $1.4M into this hotel project. He's hoping everything comes together with lenders, stormwater drainage permitting and impact fees.

Council member Todd Lyle said the town is business friendly and open to level playing fields for everyone.

"We are very open to hearing any kind of appeal of an impact fee if there's extenuating circumstances or aspects of the applicant that would render the impact fee unjust as to that one applicant," Lyle said. "I realize there's always going to be folks that are holding on to the past, and it's important that we hold on to the memories and the values as best we can and incorporate those, but we also need to look at progress and moving forward, as life around us and industry and technologies continue to progress, so should the town.

According to the developer, if everything goes as planned, the hotel could open as soon as summer of 2026.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Imagine someone living in a home for over 15 years, and a new shopping center becomes the thing to drive them away.

Residents in a Lexington County neighborhood are voicing frustration after hearing they may be swapping their scenic views from their backyards for a new shopping center. Two homeowners WIS spoke with said they’re giving serious thought to the idea of moving after hearing the news.

The development, from 413 Solutions, Inc, will be built along Augusta Highway, a few hundred feet away from Lexington High School. It’s expected to feature 200,000 square feet of retail space with room and parking for eight or more other shops or restaurants, according to developers.

The shopping center is scheduled to open in Fall 2026, according to a news release from the developer.

The developer said Target will be the anchor retail store.

The chairman of the development is NFL hall of famer Emmitt Smith is adding the new shopping center to his business portfolio.

The Oak Pointe subdivision is right near where the new retail development and construction will take place. Some residents who live in the subdivision said this new project could bring more harm than good.

Lawrence Gerald, whose backyard sits parallel to the back of the new development, said the prospect of a shopping center poses a number of concerns for him.

“If you look here to your left, the wood line is going to see a lot of trucks coming in, ie dumpsters, and a lot of construction stuff going on ... adding that and more people to that highway is definitely going to bring up some concerns,” he said.

Many homeowners whose property lines sit close to the project have the same concerns as Gerald.

“We have the ability out here to look up at the night sky and see stars and once this gets built over there I don’t think we will have that anymore,” said Karyn Howard, a homeowner who said she’s concerned about traffic and the appeal of the semi-rural area.

“I’m worried about the people it will bring to the area and the traffic it will bring to the neighborhood that we don’t yet know,” said homeowner Mary-Ann Lawson.

The closest Target to the project’s location is 7 miles away on Sunset Boulevard. While some residents argue the 15-minute drive is one of the many reasons they don’t need another store right beside their home, others say a quick walk from their front door to the red sliding doors could make all the difference.

“I think its exciting to not have to drive through Lexington to get to Target, but I am concerned about how they are going to fit in that small patch of land and traffic getting in and out,” Lawson said.

Developers released a study of six counties surrounding the City of Columbia, including Lexington. It shows a population of just more than 800,000 people with an annual growth rate of 2%.

According to a spokesperson with Lexington County, the property was already zoned for this type of development, so council approval was not needed.

WIS News 10 also reached out to the South Carolina Department of Transportation to see if a traffic study would be conducted and is waiting to hear back.

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COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — On Tuesday, the Trump Administration sent the first group of migrant detainees to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which is being used as a large scale immigration detention center.

“There’s a lot of space to accommodate a lot of people, yeah, so we’re going to use it,” says President Trump from the Oval Office.

This, following his executive order on January 20th to crackdown on illegal immigration.

Also on Tuesday, Attorney General Alan Wilson sent a letter to all 46 sheriffs across SC — encouraging them to apply for ICE’s “Section 287-G Program” — which allows local law enforcement to perform and help in certain immigration efforts.

According to the official website of “Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” only Horry, Lexington, and York counties are currently signed up for the program.

Christale Spain, Chair of the SC Democratic Party, says there’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding the raids causing fear throughout certain communities.

“You know I just think people are scared, and emotionally feel afraid. We don’t know what’s happening with our country, and I think the way to combat that, as far as the Democratic Party goes, is to put out factual information,” she says.

With recent ICE raids happening as nearby as Goose Creek, SC and Savannah, Georgia, the SC Democratic Party wants legal community members to know their rights — should an ICE agent come to their door.

“To know that they don’t have to open the door for ICE unless they have a signed warrant from a judge, and they do have the right to remain silent, and they are not required to answer questions about their immigration status. And don’t sign anything without legal representation,” says Spain, adding, if you’re able to record the ICE raid safely, to do so.

“And report those incidents to immigrant rights organizations and legal groups,” she says.

According to Spain, adding to fear mongering regarding ICE raids are impersonators, with three men recently arrested for pretending to be an ICE agent. This includes 33-year-old Sean-Michael Johnson from Charleston County.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace has also taken part in raids, as she posted on X.

“If there aren’t safe guard rails put up on some of this, this craziness, you know, Americans are going to get swept up into this, and that…that should be a concern for everybody,” says Spain.

If you’d like more information, a free discussion regarding ICE raids will be held at the Richland County Public Library on Saturday, February 8th at 2:30 p.m.